8 minute read
The Fifth Goa Culinary Conclave 2022
The Fifth Goa Culinary Conclave 2022 held at the Taj Convention Center on 22nd October 2022, concluded on a positive note. This year saw additional participants as the doors were thrown open to professionals from the food and hospitality industry besides Chefs.
Let’s go back to where it all began: “The idea of the Goan Culinary Club came aboutas we were sitting at VIVA PANJIM having lunch along with Fraquito and Nanda Martins. I mentioned that I found that the Goan Hotels were not serving Goan Food. Linda’s late husbandgave me a few names - whom I should approach .. and in that name were the names of Joe and Odette Mascarenhas… After a few persuasions, Joe and Odette agreed to support us in the formation of the Goan Culinary Club. Joe and Odette have taken the Club to great heights. Today, we have almost all the Hotels and Restaurants onboard the Goan Culinary Club. The Goan Culinary Club organises many events throughout the year and has participated in the WORLD GOA DAY events. A few years... The club has a Cookery Club too,” says Renee Baretto.
Coming back to the Culinary Conclave we approached none other than the one-and-only Odette Mascarenhas to delve deeper into what this was all about:
1. Tell us something about the 'Chefs Conclave' and how it evolved into the ‘Culinary Conclave?’ This was our 5th edition. Before the pandemic, our focus was on chefs... knowledge-based inputs to bring up the standards of food in the kitchen. During the pandemic, we saw many restaurants opening in Goa. The owners showed interest in being a part of the Club which this year has become Goa Culinary Club to encompass the service, marketing, and chefs of this industry. We believe that it is all these associates working together that make the hospitality industry what it is today.
2. You, Joe, and Nolan have been passionate about Goan cuisine and its preservation. Could you tell us how the Conclave helps to preserve our Cuisine?
Let's take this question into two segments. Every Conclave would have one session on Goan cuisine. However, once our monthly member interactions began post-pandemic we realized that before the pandemic there were many 'Goan' standalone restaurants that showcased our traditional cuisine. During the pandemic, many unfortunately moved into a multi-cuisine bracket (perhaps due to the tourists' demands). It was a little disheartening as we now have to rebuild this fabric of our great cuisine. The Club interacts with local colleges as a demand for chefs specializing in Goan cuisine is heartfelt. We need to work on this. so this year was again a back-to-basics with our interaction with the colleges. It's a demand and supply need of today. So while we are still in our rebuilding phase, this year's Conclave featured the use of organic Goan produce in other cuisines. The second segment is an important one. It's not only the 3 of us who believe in keeping our traditions alive- the committee and the members (by invitation only) believe in this wholeheartedly and 4 months of the year meetings are devoted to a knowledge-based activity on our local cuisine during the meetings. We believe sharing our legacy (even with eateries of other cuisines) will spark creative thought in the planning of their menus.
3. Could you tell us about your role in the just concluded Culinary Conclave 2022:
As President of the Goa Culinary Club, it is my responsibility to ensure that our committee members and volunteers deliver in a professional manner. The attendance of participants, helping the fraternity interact in this day-long event, the choice of speakers, the food, the event flow, retaining the interest in the topics selected...everything creates that moment of truth. But full credit is due to my committee...Besides Treasurer Joe and Ex committee member Nolan, V P Chef Sunit Sharma, Secretary Sunita Rodriques, V P GM Saurabh Khanna, Social media director Lavina Kharkal, Ex committee member Anisha Hassan - the flow of communication was so smooth that honestly, I felt that I did not have to do anything at all. We are a very cohesive team.
4. You mentioned that the Conclaves are ‘knowledge-centric’- could you give us a brief insight into the topics that were discussed?
Throughout the year, (and we are starting to plan for next year now,) we find out what topics are of interest to the industry. Our monthly interactions are important too...we are happy to say that we have around 80% attendance for all these meetings which are very participative. We welcome an open and transparent dialogue...a General manager may be seated at our meeting. Still, everyone is free to share any thought that might come to their mind (relevant of course to our vision). In that way, a random thought might spell out a course correction in their place of work without being invasive.
1. Ashish Kapur (proprietor - Antares, Wine table, etc)...on creating concept restaurants, Wine in Goa
2. Chef Rohan D'Souza (Pisco, Opa, Lazy Goose, etc)... cuisine-centric restaurants...challenges and overcoming them
3. Chef Patric (Kamaxi College)...local vegetables in classics
4. Mukund Naidu from Banglore (the art of making cheese)
5. Chef Vaibhav Bhargava (award-winning restaurant CHO)..demo on Vietnamese food
6. Chef Nitin Tandon...food styling and importance of marketing.
5. According to the feedback you got from restaurateurs the event was "Fantastic", "Very Tastefully Curated," "Cohesiveness experienced," etc. Could you brief us on your experience as to why this Conclave was so different? Tell us your reaction to such positive criticism and what this means for the future of the Goa Culinary Club.
It was very heartening to get this feedback. This was the first year we moved from being 'For chefs only' to the hospitality fraternity. The inputs of the experienced members of our Club and the current GenNext ideology together brought on this experience. The hospitality industry is evolving and we are the 'food concept capital of India.' If we want to build on the fact that every Gourmand should plan his trip to Goa based on the food on offer, we have a lot of work to do. We should be true to our passion, and rise above the thoughts 'that my cafreal is better than his'. We have so much in the food scene to work on...catering colleges need to adjust their curriculums to face reality.
The Club looks towards inviting 'similar-minded' members....we want to change, that's where we differ perhaps when it's not only numbers that matter but members who share the same vision for quality standards in Goa. Our core is still retaining a segment for Goan cuisine...I would like to work on 40% pure Goan specialties like a Mums kitchen, a Kokum Curry, or a Chefs Peters kitchen. This is our legacy and we should be proud of it.
6. How did the idea of the Goa Culinary Conclave come about?
Stemming from The Goa Culinary Club, the idea of engaging in food-related activities came about. One being the Goa Culinary Conclave. Every year the Culinary Club engages in 4 activities. Each one is a social contribution.
The first...Masci's Student Of The Year award (12 -14 catering colleges participate for the student who wins the best in Goan food)...This is the Club's contribution to the youth.
The second is the Goenchem Fest...Traditional and inspired Goan food prepared by our members is open to the public.
The third is for our members and the fraternity.. the Conclave. Networking, sharing and knowledge based.
The fourth...this was only done once, perhaps we will plan for next year. A four-course menu on modern Goan cuisine prepared by our members.
The Club also has an outreach program for the underprivileged to bring a smile to their faces. Last year, we organized an outing in a starred hotel for HIV positive kids on the 1st December (World HIV Day). We also have interactions with women with unwanted pregnancies, milk for the babies, and girls in homes and old age homes. We have 5 of these institutions to which we attend to every year. But we don't highlight this. It is just a part of our responsibility towards society.
With reference to our Conclave...it is usually held in the month of August.
This year it was postponed due to the pandemic. So, we had it in the month of October.
